Architecture for network slice deployment based on network resource utilization

ABSTRACT

A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium are described in which a network slice deployment service is described. The network slice deployment service includes storing network resource and capability information that indicates available network resources in a network. Network level requirement information pertaining to a request for network service from a user is generated. The network level requirement information is used to select available network resources based on the network resource capability information. The network slice deployment service calculates network resource utilization associated with available network resources so that optimal usage of network resources can be selected and end-to-end network slice deployment layout information can be generated and used to provision a network slice deployment layout that supports the request for network service.

BACKGROUND

The development and design of next generation wireless networks (e.g.,Fifth Generation (5G) networks) is currently underway by variousorganizations, service providers, and so forth. For example, thedevelopment and design of next generation wireless networks may be basedon cloud technologies, software defined networking (SDN), and networkfunction virtualization (NFV).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary environment in which anexemplary embodiment of a network slice deployment service may beimplemented;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating exemplary network inventory andcapability information;

FIGS. 3A-3H are diagrams illustrating an exemplary processes of anexemplary embodiment of the network slice deployment service;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating exemplary components of a device thatmay correspond to one or more of the devices illustrated and describedherein; and

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary updating process ofan exemplary embodiment of the network slice deployment service.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings.The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the sameor similar elements. Also, the following detailed description does notlimit the invention.

A future network should support various use cases, meet variousperformance metrics, allow for scalability and flexibility, and may beimplemented based on SDN and NFV in an integrated fashion. Ubiquitousautomation, network slicing, closed loop service assurance,self-healing, and other network attributes and/or services may beintegral aspects of the future network. For example, network slicingservices of the future network may create and dynamically managefunctionally isolated networks (e.g., virtualized, logical, physical,etc.). A future network may include a radio access network (RAN), a corenetwork, a service or application layer network, a cloud network, and soforth. The future network may also include networks of diversetechnologies (e.g., Fourth Generation (4G) wireless, Fifth Generation(5G) wireless, optical, Long Term Evolution (LTE) core network, etc.).Network slicing may be implemented based on cloud technologies, SDN,NFV, network orchestration, OpenFlow, etc., and network slices may beconfigured to meet specific applications, services, and end devicesdemands. For example, a network slice may be expected to meet certainreliability, latency, bandwidth, and/or other quality-of-service (QoS)requirement. Consequently, the provisioning of the future network tosatisfy network slicing requirements can be challenging. Currently,there are no mechanisms that can dynamically create and manage networkslices and the associated requirements of the future network.

According to exemplary embodiments, a network slice management systemprovides a network slice deployment service, as described. According toan exemplary embodiment, the network slice management system includes adeployment device and an inventory device. According to variousexemplary embodiments, the type of network resources may vary. Forexample, the network resources may include physical network resources,virtual network resources, and/or logical network resources which maypertain to various types of networks, network devices, and/or links. Byway of further example, network resources may pertain to a RAN, a corenetwork, a cloud network, a data center, an application layer network, avirtual network, a fronthaul network, a backhaul network, an SDNnetwork, and/or a transport network. The network resource may pertain tovarious types of network devices included in the network, and/or varioustypes of communication links. For example, the various types ofcommunication links may include point-to-point, service-based, wireless,wired, optical, intra-network, inter-network, fronthaul link, backhaullink, primary, secondary, backbone link, and/or other attributes of thecommunication link. The capability information may indicate availablecapacities pertaining to the network resource. For example, depending onthe type of network resource, the capacity of the network resource mayinclude bandwidth, processing power, storage capacity, QoS (e.g.,latency, throughput, etc.), protocol supported, and/or other attributes(e.g., applications, services, etc.).

According to an exemplary embodiment, the deployment device maycalculate a cost associated with one or multiple candidate network slicedeployment layouts based on cost information, the information includedin the inventory device, and a service request. According to anexemplary embodiment, the cost information may include an end-to-endcost, as described herein. According to an exemplary embodiment, thecost information may include other costs pertaining to a business value(e.g., operational cost, maintenance cost, etc.), as described herein.

As a result, the network slice deployment service may minimize the costassociated with a network slice while meeting the requirements of anapplication or a service to which the network slice is configured tosupport in view of the service request.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary environment 100 in whichan exemplary embodiment of a network slice deployment service may beimplemented. As illustrated, environment 100 includes a network 110 anda network 130. Network 110 may include a service interface device 115, anetwork resource device 120, and a deployment device 125. Network 130may include a service orchestrator device 135. As further illustrated,environment 100 includes an end device 180, which is operated by a user185.

According to other embodiments, environment 100 may include additionaldevices, fewer devices, and/or different types of devices than thoseillustrated and described herein. For example, a function of a singlenetwork device may be implemented by multiple devices, and/or functionsof multiple network devices may be implemented by a single networkdevice. In this regard, the number, type, and/or arrangement of networkdevices (also known as network elements or network functions) in network110, in network 130, and end device 180 are exemplary. A network device,a network element, or a network function (referred to herein simply as anetwork device) may be implemented according to a centralized computingarchitecture, a distributed computing architecture, or a cloud computingarchitecture (e.g., an elastic cloud, a private cloud, a public cloud,etc.). Additionally, a network device may be implemented according toone or multiple network architectures (e.g., a client device, a serverdevice, a peer device, a proxy device, a cloud device, a virtualizedfunction, etc). According to other exemplary embodiments, environment100 may include additional networks, fewer networks, and/or differentnetworks than those illustrated and described herein.

Environment 100 includes communication links between the network devicesand between end device 180 and network 110. Environment 100 may beimplemented to include wired, optical, and/or wireless communicationlinks among the devices illustrated. A communicative connection via acommunication link may be direct or indirect. For example, an indirectcommunicative connection may involve an intermediary device and/or anintermediary network not illustrated in FIG. 1. The number and thearrangement of communication links illustrated in environment 100 areexemplary.

Network 110 includes one or multiple networks of one or multiple typesand technologies that host the network slice deployment service, asdescribed herein. For example, network 110 may be implemented to includethe Internet, the World Wide Web, an Internet Protocol MultimediaSubsystem (IMS) network, a Rich Communication Service (RCS) network, acloud network, a packet-switched network, a private network, a publicnetwork, an Internet Protocol (IP) network, an SDN network, a virtualnetwork, a network that hosts an end user application or an end userservice, or some combination thereof. For example, the end userapplication/service network may provide various 5G applications/servicespertaining to broadband access in dense areas (e.g., pervasive video,smart office, operator cloud services, video/photo sharing, etc.),broadband access everywhere (e.g., 50/100 Mbps, ultra low-cost network,etc.), higher user mobility (e.g., high speed train, remote computing,moving hot spots, etc.), Internet of Things (IoTs) (e.g., smartwearables, sensors, mobile video surveillance, etc.), extreme real-timecommunications (e.g., tactile Internet, etc.), lifeline communications(e.g., natural disaster, etc.), ultra-reliable communications (e.g.,automated traffic control and driving, collaborative robots,health-related services (e.g., monitoring, remote surgery, etc.), dronedelivery, public safety, etc.), and/or broadcast-like services.

According to an exemplary embodiment, service interface device 115includes a network device comprising logic that provides an intent-basedinterface. The intent-based interface may be implemented as a graphicaluser interface in which a user (e.g., user 185) may interactivelyindicate a service request for use of network resources included innetwork 130. As an example, the graphical user interface may indicate acatalog of available network functions or services from which the usermay select. Additionally, or alternatively, the graphical user interfacemay allow the user to express an intent using natural language and/orselectable terms, phraseologies, or statements.

According to an exemplary embodiment, service interface device 115generates a service request based on the user's input. The servicerequest may include natural language and/or a business/servicedescription based on higher language constructs that declares the user'sintent but does not designate the way for execution. The service requestmay include other parameters pertaining to the service requested, suchas for example, a date, a time period, a location, a price, and/or othercriteria that may specify the service requested. The service request maybe non-prescriptive with respect to detailed provider implementation,and independent of provider implementation and operational policies.

According to an exemplary implementation, service interface device 115includes logic that comprises an intent expression model. For example,the intent expression model may include an expression that indicateswhat the user wants to do, or an expression that indicates an expectedfinal state or service state to be produced and maintained. The intentexpression model may include an object or an element that indicates anetwork resource and service in the network (e.g., a node, a connection,a service flow, etc.).

According to an exemplary embodiment, service interface device 115includes logic that translates the service request, which may be anintent-based service request, to network level requirement information.For example, service interface device 115 may include logic that usesmapping lookups to translate and/or resolve the service request intoprescriptive information. The prescriptive information may includeprovider-specific information that relate to a provider's systemarchitecture. For example, the prescriptive information may includeparameters and parameter values pertaining to a service and/or networkresources. The prescriptive information may be translated relative toone or multiple technologies (e.g., 4G, 5G, etc.). The prescriptiveinformation may be used by deployment device 125 to generate a candidatenetwork slice deployment, as described herein. The prescriptiveinformation may also be used by other network devices in environment 100(e.g., service orchestrator device 135, network devices in a RAN andcore network of network 130, etc.).

According to an exemplary embodiment, service interface device 115includes logic that communicates prescriptive information pertaining tothe service request to deployment device 125. According to an exemplaryembodiment, service interface device 115 includes logic that provides agraphical user interface that indicates a service response, which isbased on the service request, to the user. The service response mayindicate one or multiple available network slice deployment options fromwhich the user may select and/or accept before a candidate network slicedeployment is provisioned (e.g., by service orchestrator device 135) tosatisfy the user's service request.

According to other exemplary embodiments, service interface device 115includes a network device comprising logic that provides anon-intent-based interface. For example, the non-intent-based interfacemay be implemented as a graphical user interface in which the user mayspecify a service request. The service request may include prescriptiveinformation. For example, the prescriptive information may indicatevarious parameters such as, for example, type of service (e.g., videostreaming, Internet access, etc.), amount of bandwidth, level ofreliability, latency, redundancy, priority, type of network, and/orother network-level requirement information.

According to an exemplary embodiment, network resource device 120includes a network device comprising logic that manages network resourceand capability information. For example, the network resource andcapability information may indicate an inventory of physical, logical,and virtual network resources associated with a RAN, a core network, adata center, a transport network, links between network devices, andother forms of network resources that are currently available in network130. The network resource and capability information may indicate thecapabilities of available network resources in terms of storage,computation, bandwidth, latency, and so forth. The network resource andcapability information may correlate the inventory to locationinformation and date and time information.

According to an exemplary implementation, network resource device 120may include a database management system (DBMS). The DBMS may beimplemented using conventional, well-known, or commercially availablerelational or No Structured Query Language (NoSQL) software/packages(e.g., Microsoft SQL, Oracle Database, Cassandra, MongoDB, etc.).Network resource device 120 may include a storage device that stores adatabase. Network resource device 120 may include logic that storesnetwork resource and capability information, and performs otherstorage-related functions, such as, deletes, additions, updates,searches or lookups, etc., pertaining to the network resource andcapability information in support of the network slice deploymentservice. Also, network resource device 120 may include a communicationinterface that provides for the transmission and/or reception ofinformation that supports the network slice deployment service. Forexample, network resource device 120 may communicate with deploymentdevice 125, service orchestrator device 135, and/or other networkdevices described in environment 100.

According to an exemplary embodiment, deployment device 125 includes anetwork device comprising logic calculates a candidate network slicedeployment layout that satisfies the network level requirements of aservice request. According to an exemplary embodiment, deployment device125 uses the network resource and capability information and servicerequest requirements as a basis to calculate the candidate network slicedeployment layout. According to an exemplary embodiment, deploymentdevice 125 includes logic that calculates a cost associated with acandidate network resource and/or a candidate network slice deploymentlayout, which is used as a basis to optimally use available networkresources, as described herein. Deployment device 125 may generatenetwork slice deployment layout descriptors corresponding to a networkslice deployment layout selected to fulfill the service request.Deployment device 125 may provide the network slice deployment layoutdescriptors to service orchestrator device 135 for use and/or executionin the provisioning of the network slice deployment layout pertaining tothe service request.

Network 130 includes one or multiple networks of one or multiple types.For example, network 130 may be implemented to include a terrestrialwireless network. According to an exemplary embodiment, network 130 mayinclude a Fourth Generation (4G) RAN (e.g., an Evolved UMTS TerrestrialRadio Access Network (E-UTRAN) of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network),a 4.5G RAN (e.g., an E-UTRAN of an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network), and/ora future or next generation RAN (e.g., a Fifth Generation (5G)-accessnetwork (5G-AN) or a 5G-RAN). According to other exemplary embodiments,network 130 may include a Third Generation (3G) RAN, a 3.5G RAN, aU-TRAN, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) RAN, aGlobal System for Mobile Communications (GSM) RAN, a GSM EDGE RAN(GERAN), a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) RAN, a Wideband CDMA(WCDMA) RAN, an Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) RAN, a High-Speed PacketAccess (HSPA) RAN, an Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) RAN, or type ofpublic land mobile network (PLMN).

Network 130 may also include other types of networks, such as a WiFinetwork, a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)network, a local area network (LAN), a personal area network (PAN), orother type of network that provides access to or can be used as anon-ramp to network 110. Depending on the implementation, network 130 mayinclude various types of wireless network devices, such as, for example,a base station (BS), a base transceiver station (BTS), a Node B, anevolved Node B (eNB), a next generation Node B (gNB), a remote radiohead (RRH), an RRH and a baseband unit (BBU), a BBU, a radio networkcontroller (RNC), a wireless node (e.g., a small cell node (e.g., apicocell device, a femtocell device, a microcell device, a home eNB, arepeater, etc.)), a radio unit, a roadside unit, a 5G wireless accessnode, or other type of wireless station that provides wireless access tonetwork 110. According to various exemplary embodiments, network 130 maybe implemented according to various architectures of wireless service,such as, for example, macrocell, microcell, femtocell, picocell,metrocell, non-cell, or other configuration. Additionally, according tovarious exemplary embodiments, network 130 may be implemented accordingto various wireless technologies, wireless standards, wirelessfrequencies/bands, and so forth.

Network 130 may further include a core network. For example, the corenetwork may include a complementary network pertaining to the one ormultiple RANs described. For example, the core network may include thecore part of an LTE network, an LTE-A network, a CDMA network, a GSMnetwork, and so forth. Depending on the implementation, the core networkmay include various network devices, such as, for example, a gatewaydevice, a support node, a serving node, a mobility management entity(MME), a session management function (SMF), a core access and mobilitymanagement function (AMF), as well other network devices that providevarious network-related functions and/or services, such as charging andbilling, security, authentication and authorization, network policyenforcement, management of subscriber profiles, and/or other functionsand/or services that facilitate the operation of the core network.

Additionally, for example, network 130 may include one or multiple datacenters, transport networks, optical networks, wired networks, datanetworks, application layer or service layer networks, streamingnetworks, Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Service (MBMS) networks,cloud networks, enterprise networks, and/or other types of networkresources. Network 130 may include network resources associated with oneor multiple vendors, service providers, and/or other entities. Network130 may include a network that hosts an end user application or an enduser service.

According to an exemplary embodiment, service orchestrator device 135includes a network device comprising logic that coordinates, authorizes,releases and/or engages network resources in network 130. According toan exemplary embodiment, service orchestrator device 135 obtains networkslice deployment layout descriptors corresponding to a network slicedeployment layout from deployment device 125. Service orchestratordevice 135 may manage the provisioning of the network slice deploymentlayout to satisfy the service request. Service orchestrator device 135may include various network elements, such as for example, a NetworkFunctions Virtualization Orchestrator (NFVO), a Generic Virtual NetworkFunction Manager (GVNFM), a Specialized Virtual Network Function Manager(SVNFM), a Virtual Infrastructure Manager (VIM), a Data Center SDNController, a Virtual Infrastructure Manager (VIM), a Slice Manager,Interfaces, Plug-ins, Workflows, Slice Templates, a Common InformationModel (CIM), network forwarding graphs, and so forth. Serviceorchestrator device 135 may perform various functions such as, forexample, network slice life cycle management, configuration management(e.g., policies, isolation of management), performance management (e.g.,service level agreement (SLA) management, service assurance andprogrammability), service mapping, and so forth.

According to an exemplary embodiment, service orchestrator device 135may include logic that updates network resource device 120 regardingavailability of network resources based on the current state of networkresources in network 130 and provisioned network resources that supportservice requests. In this way, the network resource and capabilityinformation may be updated in real-time to allow deployment device 125to calculate and select a network slice deployment layout that optimizesthe use of network resources based on cost, as described herein.

End device 180 includes a device that has computational andcommunication capabilities. For example, end device 180 may beimplemented as a mobile device, a portable device, or a stationarydevice. By way of further example, end device 180 may be implemented asa computer (e.g., a desktop, a laptop, a palmtop), a smartphone, apersonal digital assistant, a tablet, a netbook, a phablet, or othertype of user device. End device 180 includes software that that allowsuser 185 to access and use the network slice deployment service, asdescribed herein. According to various exemplary implementations, enddevice 180 may include a web browser, a mobile application, or othertype of client or agent software. User 185 may be a person that operatesend device 180. For example, user 185 may be a network administratorthat wishes to use the network slice deployment service.

As previously described, network resource device 120 may store networkresource and capability information. According to an exemplaryembodiment, the network resource and capability information indicatesnetwork resources that are available in network 130 and theircorresponding capabilities. According to various exemplary embodiments,the type of network resources and capabilities may vary, as previouslydescribed. For the sake of description, exemplary network resource andcapability information is described below. The network resource andcapability information may pertain to an end-to-end view of the networktopology, which may include RAN resources, core network resources, datacenter, backhaul, fronthaul, and so forth, as previously described.

Referring to FIG. 2, exemplary network resource and capabilityinformation may be stored in a table 200 that includes a location field205, a link field 210, a capabilities field 215, a cost field 220, alocation field 225, a network device field 230, a capabilities field235, and a cost field 240. As further illustrated, table 200 includesrecords 250-1 through 250-X that each includes a grouping of fields 205through 240 that may be correlated.

Network resource and capability information is illustrated in tabularform merely for the sake of description. Network resource and capabilityinformation may be implemented in a data structure different from atable. According to other exemplary implementations, table 200 may storeadditional, fewer, and/or different instances of network resource andcapability information in support of the network slice deploymentservice, as described herein. For example, according to other exemplaryembodiments, the network resource and capability information may pertainto additional, different, and/or fewer types of network resources. Thevalues illustrated and described for each field of the network resourceand capability information are exemplary.

Location field 205 may store data indicating a location of the networkresource identified in link field 210. According to various exemplaryimplementations, the data may include one or multiple instances of dataindicative of a locale or geographic area, such as, for example, aservice area name (e.g., Times Square, Fenway Park, Northeast Boston,etc.), a service area identifier (e.g., a numerical string, analphanumeric string, etc.), a Tracking Area Code (TAC), a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) coordinate (e.g., latitude and longitude), orother geographic location (e.g., data indicating a state, a county, acity, a town, and/or a zip code, or portion thereof). According tovarious exemplary implementations, the size of the locale may vary.

Link field 210 may store data pertaining to a communication link. Forexample, link field 210 may indicate an identifier of the communicationlink and one or multiple attributes of the communication link (e.g., 5Gwireless, fronthaul, primary, etc.). Link field 210 may indicateend-to-end network devices associated with the communication link (e.g.,within RAN, inter data centers, etc.).

Capabilities field 215 may store data indicating capabilities pertainingto a communication link. For example, capabilities field 215 mayindicate various current available values pertaining to bandwidth,throughput, latency, and other metrics associated with QoS information.Capabilities field 215 may also store date and time information.

Cost field 220 may store data indicating a cost value pertaining to acommunication link. The cost value is described further below.

Location field 225 may store data indicating a location of the networkresource identified in network device field 230. For example, the datamay include one or multiple instances of data indicative of a locale orgeographic area, as described in relation to location field 205.

Network device field 230 may store data pertaining to a network device.For example, network device field 230 may indicate an identifier of thenetwork device and one or multiple attributes of the network device(e.g., virtual, router, gNB, AMF, data center server).

Capabilities field 235 may store data indicating capabilities pertainingto a network device. For example, capabilities field 235 may indicatevarious current available values pertaining to processing power, memory,storage, communication interface (e.g., number of connections, etc.),and/or other attribute of the network device (e.g., protocol supported,technology of the network device (e.g., virtual machine (VM), container,4G, 5G, etc.), available application, service, application programinterface (API), etc.).

Cost field 240 may store data indicating a cost value pertaining to anetwork device. The cost value is described further below.

As previously described, according to an exemplary embodiment,deployment device 125 includes logic that calculates a cost associatedwith a candidate network resource and/or a candidate network slicedeployment layout. For example, according to various exemplaryimplementations, deployment device 125 may calculate a cost valuepertaining to a network resource (e.g., evolved Node B (eNB)), a costvalue pertaining to a portion of end-to-end network resources (e.g., aRAN cost including multiple eNBs/gNBs/communication links; a data centercost including a storage device, an application server, andcommunication links, etc.), and/or a cost value pertaining to theend-to-end network resources (e.g., all network resources provisioned tosupport a service request).

According to an exemplary implementation, a cost value pertaining to anetwork resource may be calculated based on the following exemplaryexpression:C=P _(sliver) −F(x)  (1),in which P_(sliver) is a business value of the network resource. Forexample, P_(sliver) may indicate a cost (e.g., a business value)associated with the service provided by the network resource, which mayinclude operational cost and/or maintenance cost, as well as productmargins. A temporal cost function may approximate a net profit valuetaken across the expected life of the sliver. F(x) may indicate a totalresource utilization cost from end-to-end, as described further below. Cmay indicate a numerical value, which if positive, may indicate that thenetwork slice is suitable as a candidate network slice.

According to exemplary implementation, a resource cost value pertainingto the end-to-end network resources may be calculated based on thefollowing exemplary expression:F(x)=F _(RAN_CORE) +F _(DC) +F _(INTER_DC)  (2),in which F_(RAN_CORE) indicates a cost pertaining to a RAN and a corenetwork. For example, the F_(RAN_CORE) may be based on a cost pertainingto a network device included in the RAN and radio resources, and a costpertaining to a network device included in a core network and acommunication link. The F_(RAN_CORE) may include other parameters, suchas for example, priority of the network slice. F_(DC)+F_(INTER_DC)indicate costs pertaining to a data center and network transport betweendata centers. F(x) may indicate a total resource utilization cost fromend-to-end (e.g., network edge to and including an application/service).According to various exemplary embodiments, expression (2) may includeadditional, fewer, and/or different cost elements depending on thenetwork resources associated with a candidate network slice from anend-to-end perspective. For example, according to an exemplaryembodiment of expression (2), F_(INTER_DC) may be omitted, and/or anintermediary network or other transport resources (e.g., fronthaul,midhaul, backhaul network resources outside of the RAN, a core network,and/or a data center) may be considered. According to an exemplaryimplementation, cost of a data center may be calculated based on thefollowing exemplary expression:C _(DC)=Σ(DC _(i))∪(L _(i))  (3),in which DC_(i) indicates a cost associated a network device included ina data center, and L_(i) indicates a cost associated with intra datacenter network resources. For example, the cost indicated by L_(i) maybe associated with a communication link, a network device (e.g., arouter, etc.). C_(DC) may indicate the total cost of a data center.According to an exemplary implementation the cost of the data center ofa network device included in the data center may based on the followingexemplary expression:F _(DC) =Σ{K _(i)(C _(i))+L _(i)(S _(i))+M _(i)(N _(i))}  (4),in which K_(i) (C_(i)) indicates a computational cost of using C_(i)compute at the i^(th) data center, S_(i) (C_(i)) indicates a storagecost of using S_(i) storage at the i^(th) data center, and M_(i)(N_(i))indicates the intra-data center networking costs of using N_(i) networkresources. The cost of network resources (e.g., computational, storage,etc.) may not be a linear function but may vary across data centerlocations depending on operational expenditures (OPEX) and capitalexpenditures (CAPEX) to maintain these network resources. Additionally,for example, a cost pertaining to various virtual network resources(e.g., a VNF, a virtual machine (VM), a container, etc.) may vary interms of redundancy requirements, control plane requirements, and dataplane requirements. By way of further example, a container-based virtualnetwork device may be control plane heavy, while a VM-based virtualnetwork device may be data plane heavy. Additionally, for example, costmay include other network-related requirements pertaining to QoS,traffic shaping, service level agreement (SLA), and other provisioningconsiderations (e.g., license utilization/expense pertaining to anetwork resource, etc.).K _(i) =δK _(i)/δflap  (5),in which K_(i) indicates a marginal computational cost. For example,δK_(i) may indicate the delta of total computational cost, and δflap mayindicate the delta of total compute power. Similarly, L_(i) and M_(i)may indicate marginal storage and networking costs using the cost andcapacity of storage devices and network devices, respectively.

The cost indicated by F_(INTER_DC), which pertains to network transportbetween data centers, may be cost associated with inter-data centernetwork resources (e.g., a communication link, a network device, etc.).For example, the inter-data center cost may be calculated based on thefollowing exemplary expression:N _(ij)=Cost of link between {Data center i,Data Center j}  (6),F _(INTER_DC) =ΣN _(ij)  (7),in which N_(ij) indicates the cost of inter-data center networkresources between an i^(th) data center and a j^(th) data center.F_(INTER_DC) may indicate a cost associated with a summation of one ormultiple N_(ij) (e.g., between source and destination data centers).Deployment device 125 may store one or multiple costs pertaining tonetwork resources in fields 220 and 240.

FIGS. 3A-3H are diagrams illustrating an exemplary process of thenetwork slice deployment service according to an exemplary scenario.Referring to FIG. 3A, assume that user 185 (e.g., an accounts managerassociated with an enterprise) wishes to obtain network service. User185 establishes a session 301 via end device 180 with service interfacedevice 115. User 185 may log into service interface device 115 to accessthe network slice deployment service. Upon successful login, serviceinterface device 115 may provide a graphical user interface 305 thatallows user 185 to provide an intent-based service request. For example,the graphical user interface may indicate a catalog of available networkfunctions/services/applications from which user 185 may select. Inresponse, user 185 inputs an intent-based service request 307.

Referring to FIG. 3B, in response to receiving the input, serviceinterface device 115 generates a service request 309 based on the userinput. For example, service request 309 may include informationindicating a business/service description that declares the intent ofuser 185 based on the input and the catalog. Service interface device115 translates the service request and generates prescriptiveinformation 312. For example, the prescriptive information may includeparameters, parameter values, and/or other network level requirementinformation pertaining to a network service corresponding to the servicerequest. By way of further example, the prescriptive information mayindicate reliability (e.g., redundancy or not, where redundancy isneeded (e.g., core network, RAN, or both, cloud, etc.)), latency,bandwidth, bitrate, throughput, and/or other requirements (e.g., SLAmetrics, etc.). The prescriptive information may also include otherinformation, such as, for example, the number of end devices or enddevice density to be supported under the service request, trafficdistribution (e.g., end device to semi-core and core network, etc.),connection percentage success rate, and/or other information indicativeof the service request (e.g., key performance indicators (KPIs), etc.).The prescriptive information may include different sets of theprescriptive information based on different technologies. For example,the prescriptive information indicative of the requested network serviceprovisioned via a 5G network may be different compared to theprescriptive information indicative of the requested network serviceprovisioned via a 4G network and/or other network technology.

Referring to FIG. 3C, service interface device 115 provides theprescriptive information 315 to deployment device 125. Referring to FIG.3D, in response to receiving the prescriptive information, deploymentdevice 125 queries 319 network resource device 120. For example, thequery may include information pertaining to a location at which thenetwork service is to be received, a date and a time period during whichthe network service is to be received, and prescriptive informationindicative of the network service requested. The prescriptiveinformation may pertain to multiple technologies, as previouslydescribed. Based on the query, deployment device 125 may access and/orobtain network resource and capability information that satisfies thequery.

Referring to FIG. 3E, deployment device 125 may generate one or multiplecandidate network slice deployment layouts 325. For example, deploymentdevice 125 may calculate cost information pertaining to variouscandidate network resources (e.g., transport, network device, etc.) thatare available and can satisfy the requirements of the service request.For example, as previously described, the cost information may includecost from an individual network resource basis (e.g., a network device,a communication link), from a group cost basis (e.g., a RAN, a datacenter, a core network, etc.), and/or from an end-to-end basis (e.g.,from network edge to and including a destination device). The nature ofthe cost may indicate resource utilization, maintenance cost,operational cost, marginal cost, and/or other types of cost. Based onthe calculation of cost information and available network resources,deployment device 125 may generate one or multiple candidate networkslice deployment layouts that may optimally use the available networkresources for satisfying the service request. According to variousexemplary embodiments, the optimal usage may be from an end-to-endnetwork perspective (e.g., from network edge to and including adestination network device), a network perspective (e.g., a RAN, a datacenter, etc.), and/or a network resource perspective (e.g., a networkdevice of a data center, a communication link, etc.). According to anexemplary embodiment, deployment device 125 may rank multiple candidatenetwork slice deployment layouts based on expression (1). According toanother exemplary embodiment, when multiple candidate network slicedeployment layouts are not generated, a ranking process may be omitted.Deployment device 125 may select a candidate network slice deploymentlayout that yields the best or optimal value of C. Deployment device 125may also select the candidate network slice deployment layout based onconfigured rules, policies, heuristics, and/or a learning algorithm.

According to an exemplary implementation, deployment device 125 maygenerate a service response 327, which includes information indicativeof the candidate network slice deployment layout, and send the serviceresponse to service interface device 115. By way of example, the serviceresponse information may indicate a monetary cost associated with acandidate network slice deployment layout, quality-of-service valuesassociated with the candidate network slice deployment layout (e.g.,minimum value and/or maximum value pertaining to latency, bandwidth,reliability, etc.) and/or other information representative of theconfiguration and/or service (e.g., delivery technology (virtual networkresource, non-virtual network resource, cloud, 5G RAN access, 4G RANaccess, etc.)). In response to receiving the service responseinformation, service interface device 115 may provide a graphical userinterface 329. For example, when multiple candidate network slicedeployment layouts are available, user 185 may select a candidatenetwork slice deployment layout via the graphical user interface, andtransmit an acceptance of the service response 332. In this way, user185 may select his or her preferred layout based on the service responseinformation provided. Additionally, or alternatively, user 185 mayindicate an acceptance of the candidate network slice deployment layout.According to other exemplary implementations, steps 327, 329, and 332may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 3F, deployment device 125 may provide network slicedeployment layout descriptors 335 to service orchestrator device 135.For example, the network slice deployment layout descriptors may includeVNF descriptors, network service descriptors, and network slicedescriptors. According to an exemplary implementations, one or more ofthe descriptors may be expressed in Topology and OrchestrationSpecification for Cloud Application (TOSCA) and derived from a CIM,and/or other well known language, data model, format, and so forth.

Referring to FIG. 3G, service orchestrator device 135 may provision thenetwork slice deployment layout 339 based on the network slicedeployment layout descriptors. The network slice deployment layout willprovide end-to-end service in support of the network service requested.Subsequent to the provisioning of the network slice, network 130 mayprovide a network service 343 in accordance with the network servicerequested.

Referring to FIG. 3H, service orchestrator device 135 may update networkresource device 120. For example, service orchestrator device 135 maytransmit network resource and capability information to network resourcedevice 120 that indicates the usage and/or availability of networkresources in view of the provisioned network slice deployment layout.

Although FIGS. 3A-3H illustrate exemplary processes of the network slicedeployment service, according to other exemplary embodiments, theprocess may include additional, different, and/or fewer steps, includeadditional, different, and/or fewer messages, and/or involve additional,different, and/or fewer network devices.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating exemplary components of a device 400that may be included in one or more of the devices described herein. Forexample, device 400 may correspond to components included in a networkdevice of network 110, a network device of network 130, and end device180. As illustrated in FIG. 4, device 400 includes a bus 405, aprocessor 410, a memory/storage 415 that stores software 420, acommunication interface 425, an input 430, and an output 435. Accordingto other embodiments, device 400 may include fewer components,additional components, different components, and/or a differentarrangement of components than those illustrated in FIG. 4 and describedherein.

Bus 405 includes a path that permits communication among the componentsof device 400. For example, bus 405 may include a system bus, an addressbus, a data bus, and/or a control bus. Bus 405 may also include busdrivers, bus arbiters, bus interfaces, clocks, and so forth.

Processor 410 includes one or multiple processors, microprocessors, dataprocessors, co-processors, application specific integrated circuits(ASICs), controllers, programmable logic devices, chipsets,field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specificinstruction-set processors (ASIPs), system-on-chips (SoCs), centralprocessing units (CPUs) (e.g., one or multiple cores), microcontrollers,and/or some other type of component that interprets and/or executesinstructions and/or data. Processor 410 may be implemented as hardware(e.g., a microprocessor, etc.), a combination of hardware and software(e.g., a SoC, an ASIC, etc.), may include one or multiple memories(e.g., cache, etc.), etc.

Processor 410 may control the overall operation or a portion ofoperation(s) performed by device 400. Processor 410 may perform one ormultiple operations based on an operating system and/or variousapplications or computer programs (e.g., software 420). Processor 410may access instructions from memory/storage 415, from other componentsof device 400, and/or from a source external to device 400 (e.g., anetwork, another device, etc.). Processor 410 may perform an operationand/or a process based on various techniques including, for example,multithreading, parallel processing, pipelining, interleaving, etc.

Memory/storage 415 includes one or multiple memories and/or one ormultiple other types of storage mediums. For example, memory/storage 415may include one or multiple types of memories, such as, random accessmemory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), cache, read onlymemory (ROM), a programmable read only memory (PROM), a static randomaccess memory (SRAM), a single in-line memory module (SIMM), a dualin-line memory module (DIMM), a flash memory, and/or some other type ofmemory. Memory/storage 415 may include a hard disk (e.g., a magneticdisk, an optical disk, a magneto-optic disk, a solid state disk, etc.),a Micro-Electromechanical System (MEMS)-based storage medium, and/or ananotechnology-based storage medium. Memory/storage 415 may includedrives for reading from and writing to the storage medium.

Memory/storage 415 may be external to and/or removable from device 400,such as, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory stick, adongle, a hard disk, mass storage, off-line storage, or some other typeof storing medium (e.g., a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk(DVD), a Blu-Ray disk (BD), etc.). Memory/storage 415 may store data,software, and/or instructions related to the operation of device 400.

Software 420 includes an application or a program that provides afunction and/or a process. As an example, with reference to networkdevices of network 110, software 420 may include an application that,when executed by processor 410, provides the functions of the networkslice deployment service, as described herein. Software 420 may alsoinclude firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language(HDL), and/or other form of instruction. Software 420 may furtherinclude an operating system (OS) (e.g., Windows, Linux, Android,proprietary, etc.).

Communication interface 425 permits device 400 to communicate with otherdevices, networks, systems, and/or the like. Communication interface 425includes one or multiple wireless interfaces and/or wired interfaces.For example, communication interface 425 may include one or multipletransmitters and receivers, or transceivers. Communication interface 425may operate according to a protocol stack and a communication standard.Communication interface 425 may include an antenna. Communicationinterface 425 may include various processing logic or circuitry (e.g.,multiplexing/de-multiplexing, filtering, amplifying, converting, errorcorrection, application programming interface (API), etc.).Communication interface 425 may be implemented as a point-to-pointinterface, a service based interface, etc.

Input 430 permits an input into device 400. For example, input 430 mayinclude a keyboard, a mouse, a display, a touchscreen, a touchlessscreen, a button, a switch, an input port, speech recognition logic,and/or some other type of visual, auditory, tactile, etc., inputcomponent. Output 435 permits an output from device 400. For example,output 435 may include a speaker, a display, a touchscreen, a touchlessscreen, a light, an output port, and/or some other type of visual,auditory, tactile, etc., output component.

As previously described, a network device may be implemented accordingto various computing architectures (e.g., in a cloud, etc.) andaccording to various network architectures (e.g., a virtualizedfunction, etc.). Device 400 may be implemented in the same manner. Forexample, device 400 may be instantiated, spun up, spun down, etc., usingwell-known virtualization techniques in a public/private cloud or othertype of network.

Device 400 may perform a process and/or a function, as described herein,in response to processor 410 executing software 420 stored bymemory/storage 415. By way of example, instructions may be read intomemory/storage 415 from another memory/storage 415 (not shown) or readfrom another device (not shown) via communication interface 425. Theinstructions stored by memory/storage 415 cause processor 410 to performa process described herein. Alternatively, for example, according toother implementations, device 400 performs a process described hereinbased on the execution of hardware (processor 410, etc.).

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process 500 of anexemplary embodiment of the network slice deployment service. Process500 is directed to a process previously described with respect to FIGS.3A-3H, as well as elsewhere in this description, in which the networkslice deployment service is provided. According to an exemplaryembodiment, a network device of network 110 may perform a step ofprocess 500. For example, processor 410 executes software 420 to performthe steps illustrated in FIG. 5, and described herein.

Referring to FIG. 5, in block 505, network resource and capabilityinformation pertaining to a network may be stored. For example, networkresource device 120 may store network resource and capabilityinformation pertaining to network 130. By way of further example, thenetwork resource and capability information may include informationpreviously described in relation to FIG. 2.

In block 510, a request for a network service, from a user, may bereceived. For example, user 185 via end device 180 may establish asession with service interface device 115. User 185 may input, via agraphical user interface of service interface device 115, a request fora network service. According to various exemplary embodiments, thegraphical user interface may be an intent-based interface or anon-intent-based interface.

In block 515, network level requirement information, which supports thenetwork service, may be generated based on the request. For example,service interface device 115 may translate and/or resolve the requestinto prescriptive information, as previously described. Serviceinterface device 115 may provide the prescriptive information todeployment device 125.

In block 520, available network resources, which satisfy the networkrequirement level requirement information, may be selected based on thenetwork resource and capability information. For example, deploymentdevice 125 may query network resource device 120 based on theprescriptive information. Deployment device 125 may select networkresources (e.g., communication links, network devices, a RAN, a corenetwork, a data center, etc.) that satisfy the prescriptive informationand are available.

In block 525, a cost pertaining to the selected available networkresources may be calculated. For example, deployment device 125 maycalculate a cost associated with a network resource, a group of networkresources, and/or an aggregate of end-to-end network resources, aspreviously described, based on the selected available network resources.

In block 530, a network slice deployment layout information may begenerated based on the selected network resources and the calculation.For example, deployment device 125 may generate one or multiplecandidate network slice deployment layouts based on the availablenetwork resources and the cost information. For example, depending onthe network service requested, the network service may be deployment ina centralized manner or in a distributed manner. Depending on the numberof locations of end users relative to the destination network devicethat provides the network service, transport costs may differ between acentralized-based network slice delivery layout compared to adistributed-based network slice delivery layout. Additionally, forexample, for each type of layout (e.g., centralized, distributed, etc.),there may be multiple networks, routing within a network, data centersto use, and/or other network resources from which to select. However, asdescribed herein, deployment device 125 may determine an optimal usageof network resources based on the cost information from an end-to-endnetwork side perspective, a network perspective, and/or a networkresource perspective. The candidate network slice deployment layoutinformation may include virtual network function descriptor information,network service descriptor information, and network slice descriptorinformation.

In block 535, the network slice deployment layout may be provisionedbased on the generation. For example, deployment device 125 may providethe candidate network slice deployment layout information to serviceorchestrator device 135. Service orchestrator device 135 may provisionthe network service based on the network slice deployment layoutinformation.

Although FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary process 500 of the networkslice deployment service, according to other embodiments, process 500may include additional operations, fewer operations, and/or differentoperations than those illustrated in FIG. 5, and described herein. Forexample, service orchestrator device 135 may update network resourcedevice 120.

As set forth in this description and illustrated by the drawings,reference is made to “an exemplary embodiment,” “an embodiment,”“embodiments,” etc., which may include a particular feature, structureor characteristic in connection with an embodiment(s). However, the useof the phrase or term “an embodiment,” “embodiments,” etc., in variousplaces in the specification does not necessarily refer to allembodiments described, nor does it necessarily refer to the sameembodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarilymutually exclusive of other embodiment(s). The same applies to the term“implementation,” “implementations,” etc.

The foregoing description of embodiments provides illustration, but isnot intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the preciseform disclosed. Accordingly, modifications to the embodiments describedherein may be possible. For example, various modifications and changesmay be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented,without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forthin the claims that follow. The description and drawings are accordinglyto be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to be interpreted to includeone or more items. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to beinterpreted as “based, at least in part, on,” unless explicitly statedotherwise. The term “and/or” is intended to be interpreted to includeany and all combinations of one or more of the associated items. Theword “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example.” Anyembodiment or implementation described as “exemplary” is not necessarilyto be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments orimplementations.

In addition, while a series of blocks have been described with regard tothe processes illustrated in FIG. 5, the order of the blocks may bemodified according to other embodiments. Further, non-dependent blocksmay be performed in parallel. Additionally, other processes described inthis description may be modified and/or non-dependent operations may beperformed in parallel.

The embodiments described herein may be implemented in many differentforms of software executed by hardware. For example, a process or afunction may be implemented as “logic,” a “component,” or an “element.”The logic, the component, or the element, may include, for example,hardware (e.g., processor 410, etc.), or a combination of hardware andsoftware (e.g., software 420). The embodiments have been describedwithout reference to the specific software code since the software codecan be designed to implement the embodiments based on the descriptionherein and commercially available software design environments and/orlanguages.

Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in theclaims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote anypriority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another, thetemporal order in which acts of a method are performed, the temporalorder in which instructions executed by a device are performed, etc.,but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having acertain name from another element having a same name (but for use of theordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.

Additionally, embodiments described herein may be implemented as anon-transitory storage medium that stores data and/or information, suchas instructions, program code, data structures, program modules, anapplication, etc. The program code, instructions, application, etc., isreadable and executable by a processor (e.g., processor 410) of adevice. A non-transitory storage medium includes one or more of thestorage mediums described in relation to memory/storage 415.

To the extent the aforementioned embodiments collect, store or employpersonal information provided by individuals, it should be understoodthat such information shall be used in accordance with all applicablelaws concerning protection of personal information. Additionally, thecollection, storage and use of such information may be subject toconsent of the individual to such activity, for example, through wellknown “opt-in” or “opt-out” processes as may be appropriate for thesituation and type of information. Storage and use of personalinformation may be in an appropriately secure manner reflective of thetype of information, for example, through various encryption andanonymization techniques for particularly sensitive information.

No element, act, or instruction described in the present applicationshould be construed as critical or essential to the embodimentsdescribed herein unless explicitly described as such.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: storing, by a networkdevice, network resource and capability information pertaining tonetwork resources of a network and a network slice service; receiving,by the network device, a request for a network service from a user;generating, by the network device based on the request, network levelrequirement information that would support the network service;selecting, by the network device based on the generating, a portion ofnetwork resources, which are indicated in the network resource andcapability information, that satisfy the network level requirementinformation; calculating, by the network device based on the selecting,network resource information pertaining to the selected portion ofnetwork resources, wherein the network resource information includesinformation indicating a cost to utilize the selected portion of networkresources; generating, by the network device based on the calculating,end-to-end network slice deployment information that includes parametersto provision multiple candidate end-to-end network slice deploymentlayouts in the network that would support the network service and costvalues of the multiple candidate end-to-end network slice deploymentlayouts, wherein the cost values are generated based on end-to-endnetwork resource costs, operational costs, and maintenance costs of thenetwork slice service; selecting, by the network device based on thegenerating of the end-to-end network slice deployment information, oneof the multiple candidate end-to-end network slice deployment layoutsbased on the cost values; and transmitting, by the network device to another network device, the end-to-end network slice deploymentinformation of the selected one of the multiple candidate end-to-endnetwork slice deployment layouts.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: providing, by the network device, an intent-based userinterface; receiving, by the network device via the intent-based userinterface, the request, wherein the request is an intent-based requestfor the network service, and wherein the generating the network levelrequirement information comprises: generating, by the network device,the network level requirement information based on the intent-basedrequest.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network level requirementinformation includes information pertaining to a bandwidth requirement,a reliability requirement, a latency requirement, a redundancyrequirement, a location to receive the network service, and date andtime period information during which the network service is to beprovided.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resource andcapability information indicates network resources that are availablefor use, available capacities of the network resources includingcomputational, storage, and transport, and locations of the availablenetwork resources, and wherein the network resources include networkdevices and communication links.
 5. The method of claim 4, whereinselecting the portion of network resources comprises: querying, by thenetwork device, the network resource and capability information based onthe network level requirement information; and identifying, by thenetwork device, network resources that satisfy the network levelrequirement information.
 6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:selecting, by the network device, one or more network resources from theportion of the network resources that use a least capacity based on thenetwork resource information; and including, by the network device,parameters pertaining to the one or more network resources in theend-to-end network slice deployment information.
 7. The method of claim1, wherein the other network device includes a service orchestrationdevice.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cost values are generatedbased on marginal costs pertaining to computational, storage, andnetworking.
 9. A network device comprising: a communication interface; amemory, wherein the memory stores instructions; and a processor, whereinthe processor executes the instructions to: store network resource andcapability information pertaining to network resources of a network anda network slice service; receive, via the communication interface, arequest for a network service from a user; generate based on receipt ofthe request, network level requirement information that would supportthe network service; select, based on the generation, a portion ofnetwork resources, which are indicated in the network resource andcapability information, that satisfy the network level requirementinformation; calculate, based on the selection, network resourceinformation pertaining to the selected portion of network resources,wherein the network resource information includes information indicatinga cost to utilize the selected portion of network resources; generatebased on the calculation, end-to-end network slice deploymentinformation that includes parameters to provision multiple candidateend-to-end network slice deployment layouts in the network that wouldsupport the network service and cost values of the multiple candidateend-to-end network slice deployment layouts, wherein the cost values aregenerated based on end-to-end network resource costs, operational costs,and maintenance costs of the network slice service; select, based on thegeneration of the end-to-end network slice deployment information, oneof the multiple candidate end-to-end network slice deployment layoutsbased on the cost values; and transmit, via the communication interface,the end-to-end network slice deployment information of the selected oneof the multiple candidate end-to-end network slice deployment layouts toan other network device.
 10. The network device of claim 9, wherein theprocessor further executes the instructions to: provide an intent-baseduser interface; and receive, via the intent-based user interface, therequest, wherein the request is an intent-based request for the networkservice, and wherein, when generating the network level requirementinformation, the processor further executes the instructions to:generate the network level requirement information based on theintent-based request.
 11. The network device of claim 9, wherein thenetwork level requirement information includes information pertaining toa bandwidth requirement, a reliability requirement, a latencyrequirement, a redundancy requirement, a location to receive the networkservice, and date and time period information during which the networkservice is to be provided.
 12. The network device of claim 9, whereinthe network resource and capability information indicates networkresources that are available for use, available capacities of thenetwork resources including computational, storage, and transport, andlocations of the available network resources, and wherein the networkresources include network devices and communication links.
 13. Thenetwork device of claim 12, wherein, when selecting the portion ofnetwork resources, the processor further executes the instructions to:query the network resource and capability information based on thenetwork level requirement information; and identify network resourcesthat satisfy the network level requirement information.
 14. The networkdevice of claim 12, wherein the processor further executes theinstructions to: select one or more network resources from the portionof the network resources that use a least capacity based on the networkresource information; and include parameters pertaining to the one ormore network resources in the end-to-end network slice deployment. 15.The network device of claim 9, wherein the cost values are generatedbased on marginal costs pertaining to computational, storage, andnetworking.
 16. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage mediumstoring instructions executable by a processor of a network device,which when executed causes the network device to: store network resourceand capability information pertaining to network resources of a networkand a network slice service; receive a request for a network servicefrom a user; generate based on receipt of the request, network levelrequirement information that would support the network service; select,based on the generation, a portion of network resources, which areindicated in the network resource and capability information, thatsatisfy the network level requirement information; calculate, based onthe selection, network resource information pertaining to the selectedportion of network resources, wherein the network resource informationincludes information indicating a cost to utilize the selected portionof network resources; generate based on the calculation, end-to-endnetwork slice deployment information that includes parameters toprovision multiple candidate end-to-end network slice deployment layoutsin the network that would support the network service and cost values ofthe multiple candidate end-to-end network slice deployment layouts,wherein the cost values are generated based on end-to-end networkresource costs, operational costs, and maintenance costs of the networkslice service; select, based on the generation of the end-to-end networkslice deployment information, one of the multiple candidate end-to-endnetwork slice deployment layouts based on the cost values; and transmitthe end-to-end network slice deployment information of the selected oneof the multiple candidate end-to-end network slice deployment layouts toan other network device.
 17. The non-transitory, computer-readablestorage medium of claim 16, wherein the network resource and capabilityinformation indicates network resources that are available for use,available capacities of the network resources including computational,storage, and transport, and locations of the available networkresources, and wherein the network resources include network devices andcommunication links.
 18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storagemedium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further includeinstructions executable by the processor of the network device, whichwhen executed causes the network device to: query the network resourceand capability information based on the network level requirementinformation; and identify network resources that satisfy the networklevel requirement information.
 19. The non-transitory, computer-readablestorage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further includeinstructions executable by the processor of the network device, whichwhen executed causes the network device to: select one or more networkresources from the portion of the network resources that use a leastcapacity based on the network resource information; and includeparameters pertaining to the one or more network resources in theend-to-end network slice deployment information.
 20. The non-transitory,computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the cost valuesare generated based on marginal costs pertaining to computational,storage, and networking, and wherein the network level requirementinformation includes information pertaining to a bandwidth requirement,a reliability requirement, a latency requirement, a redundancyrequirement, a location to receive the network service, and date andtime period information during which the network service is to beprovided.